Life is Great

Roasted Mushroom Risotto [Printer Friendly Version]

Recipe adapted barely from Jamie Oliver's Grilled Mushroom Risotto, roasted mushroom adapted from Deb Perelman's Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms.
Serves 4-6

Notes: I would say Jamie's recipe serves 6 quite comfortably so do scale down the recipe according to your needs (risotto rice expands quite substantially). The roasted mushrooms would serve 4 so adjust the recipe should you be making the full risotto amount for 6, to keep a good ratio of roasted mushrooms versus rice. I added the zest of a lemon just before stirring in the cheese, it lifted the risotto beautifully. Never waste the zest of a fresh citrus! For a halal version, simply replace the wine with more stock.

I have combined the methods of preparing the rice and roasted mushrooms in the order I've cooked them, so that both are done at the same time to serve fresh and warm. Alternatively you can put the wild mushrooms to roast first. When it's done, turn the oven off but keep the door slightly ajar. When the rice is done, remove the still warm roasted mushrooms, dress them and serve together.

For the risotto:

• 1 1/2 to 2 liters hot chicken stock (in this case, I used mushroom stock for a vegetarian version)
  
• a handful of dried porcini mushrooms
  
• olive oil
  
• 2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped
  
• 3 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
  
• 400 grams risotto rice
  
• 150 milliliters vermouth/white wine (I used Muscat)
  
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 25 grams butter
  
• 2 nice handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
  
• zest of 1 lemon
  
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• salt and pepper to taste

For the roasted mushrooms:

• 4 large handfuls of wild mushrooms (shiitake/girolle/chestnut/oyster works well, I used chanterelles), cleaned and if necessary, sliced
  
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 30 grams butter, cut into small pieces
  
• juice of 1 lemon (from the zested lemon for the risotto)
  
• a few sprigs of fresh chervil, tarragon or parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Preheat oven to 450°F with a wire rack placed in the middle. Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, toss the wild mushrooms with garlic, oil, salt and several grinds of pepper in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with butter and set aside. Once stock comes to a boil, place the porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour in just enough hot stock to cover.
Leave for a couple of minutes until they’ve softened. Remove and set aside, reserving the soaking liquid. (I find it unnecessary to chop the porcini as I like bigger bites of mushrooms to make the rice a party.) Keep the rest of the stock on a very low simmer.

In a large pan, heat a glug of olive oil and add the onion and celery. Slowly fry without browning them, on low heat, for at least 10 minutes. Turn the heat up and add the rice. Give it a stir with a wooden spoon. Add in the vermouth/wine of your choice and keep stirring until the liquid has cooked into the rice. Pour in the porcini soaking liquid into the pan. Add the porcini, a good pinch of salt and the first ladle of hot stock.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep adding ladlefuls of hot stock, stirring and gently massaging the starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next.
About 10 minutes into this (after the 2 rounds of stock), put the prepared wild mushrooms into the oven and roast till tender, golden and bubbly garlic sauce forms below, this will take about 15 to 20 minutes. While the mushrooms are roasting, carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with just a slight bite. This will take about another 20 minutes, just about the time the roasted mushrooms are done.

Take the risotto off the heat and check the seasoning carefully. Stir in the butter and a little bit of cheese. The risotto should be creamy and oozy in texture, so add a bit more stock or cheese depending on its consistency at this point. Put a lid over the pan and leave the rice to relax for about 3 minutes. During this time, remove the roasted mushrooms from the oven and stir in lemon juice and mixture of herbs.

Dish out the rested risotto into serving plates. Crack over some black pepper, top each plate with some of the dressed roasted mushrooms, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and if desired, a bit more freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.